True culture of peace is born of charity, says Cardinal Bertone

Rome, Italy, Jun 30, 2009 / 11:17 pm (CNA).- Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said last week the true culture of peace is born out of the depths of peoples’ hearts “first through humble and daily gestures of charity, kindness, forgiveness, before through diplomatic and political objectives.”

The cardinal made his comments during a Mass celebrating the 140th anniversary of the founding of St. Peter’s Circle, a charitable organization in Rome. According to L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Bertone praised the organization for its work with the homeless and the infirm, underscoring its “free service of faith and love.”

Following Christ demands of Christians “a constant effort to accept and do everything with joy, in a responsible way, keeping in mind the true good of others.” “May we never act just out of ‘pure interest’ but rather may we always be of ‘good spirit,’ knowing how to accept setbacks and misunderstandings,” the cardinal added.

After noting that St. Peter’s Circle follows the example of the first pope, “despite sin and human weakness,” Cardinal Bertone stressed that “the human community is in its intimate essence a place of forgiveness, of love that is based on trust in the mercy of God and translates into solidarity and compassion for the suffering of others and their weaknesses.”

By viewing the events of each day through this lense of the Gospel, instead of allowing ourselves to become discouraged or scandalized, the cardinal asserted, Christians can understand that “what is necessary to establish unity in our communities, families and associations is the humble acceptance of the merciful love of God.”